CLEVELAND — In honor of CMSD teacher Danielle Chronister, who was struck by a driver and killed at the East 21st Street and Chester Avenue intersection in 2021 as she was walking on the crosswalk, new survivor support programs are being launched in the city.
The programs were official launched Thursday as friends, family and former students gathered at the intersection, according to a City of Cleveland press release. The programs are in partnership with the city and Bike Cleveland.
“Danielle's death is a horror from which we'll never fully heal," said Ben, Chronister's husband, in the release. "We aim to honor her memory by raising awareness and pushing for safer drivers and streets so other families don't have to experience this same trauma."
The city showcased the first sign as part of the new memorial street sign program. The purple and gold sign has Chronister’s name on it as well as the words “watch for pedestrians.”
Those with family members who have been killed in traffic crashes in Cleveland can request a memorial sign from the city here.
"This is a memorial with a message to drivers: pay attention," said Laura Wood, Chronister’s mother, in the release.
The release states that this is in addition to the city’s other work to mitigate traffic accidents and improve safety, including the Vision Zero initiative.
“Driving is often so integrated in our daily routines that we fail to recognize the enormous impact that a few seconds can have,” said Calley Mersmann, Mayor Justin Bibb’s senior strategist for transit and mobility, in the release. “These signs honor lives lost from traffic crashes and help make this often-normalized toll of our transportation system visible in a way that contributes to more awareness and attentiveness.”
Members of Bike Cleveland, a non-profit advocating for cyclists, were joined by Patty Knilans to announce information on Northeast Ohio Families for Safe Streets chapter. Knilans’ husband, Randy, had been killed in 2019 while biking by a drunk driver, according to the release.
The chapter aims to provide “support and community for people who have lost loved ones or who have been injured in a crash by aggressive, reckless, or careless driving.”
“Families for Safe Streets is really about confronting the preventable epidemic of traffic violence and advocating for life-saving changes, as well as supporting those whose lives have been impacted by crashes,” said Jacob VanSickle, executive director of Bike Cleveland, in the release. “We encourage people to contact us and join other families in remembering loved ones, seeking healing, and advocating for change.”